Woman infected with Zika gives birth to healthy baby

The country’s second case of a pregnant woman diagnosed earlier with Zika virus infection has given birth to a healthy baby boy, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The 16-year-old mother from Las Piñas City had been under close observation by health authorities after she was diagnosed in November on her 32nd week of her pregnancy with Zika virus, which causes serious birth defects, including microcephaly.

“The baby is healthy and normal,” Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial told reporters yesterday. The mother gave birth on Dec. 20, she said.

Microcephaly is a neurological birth disorder wherein the baby’s head is smaller than expected.

52 confirmed cases

The DOH has so far monitored 52 confirmed cases of Zika virus in health facilities nationwide with ages ranging from 7 to 59 years old. Of the cases, 65 percent were female and 7 percent or four cases were pregnant at the time of illness, said Ubial.

The first pregnant woman from Cebu who contracted Zika virus on her 19th week is expected to give birth in January. Previous ultrasounds have shown no abnormalities in her pregnancy. The other two Zika-afflicted pregnant women are in Biñan City and Quezon City.

“They are all still under close surveillance and monitoring,” said Ubial.

She said that despite the baby being born normal, the DOH still cannot say this early that the patient contracting the virus late in her pregnancy had something to do with the good outcome.